How Hermetic Knowledge Was Lost

Alas Alexandrian Light Lost to Humankind

‘The Sages were under no illusions respecting the possible future of the tradition, which they confided to the intelligence and virtue of future generations.. the use of synthesis had been almost entirely lost.. the people itself became the unconscious depository of the doctrine.’ Papus.

Unfortunately after the burning of the Great Alexandrian Library civilisation lost its Alexandrian Light and the world fell into ignorance. The Alexandrian Empire of the Greeks was followed by the Roman Empire. But the Roman Empire decayed and that ancient Book of Thoth was lost, it seemed, forever.  Or was it? In this book perhaps you shall discover it!

Not long after the decline of Rome the Dark Ages followed (approx 700A.D to 1500A.D), which we all know was a really bad time. It wasn’t called Dark Ages for nuthin! People got sick and uncivilised strong-arm criminals ravaged the land. I like to think of it as the ‘Stupid People Period,’ where everyone was going ‘Err, I dunno. Is that a Roman road? Can we eat it?’ It really wasn’t too far beyond this, seriously the joke ‘eat dirt’ refers to these guys.

With the onset of the Dark Ages people did stupid things. I’m not much of a historian to be honest. Writing these chapters was a chore for me, because like you, I just like to work with the Tarot cards themselves on a practical spiritual level. But, just to give you an idea of this time period; if you said the world was round, you got killed for knowing too much. The man who discovered germs got locked up for a mental case. No need to wash your hands if you’re a doctor. And if you got sick they would bleed out the ‘bad blood.’ Everyone of course kept getting sick, people were dirty and unhygienic. You didn’t have to look after your children and only had them to do the chores. People actually threw human-waste into the streets because there was no sewer system, so your life could have easily been interrupted by a flying-pooh. These people also bought on the Black Plague which killed up to 200 million people. And the Egyptians were said to be the uncivilised ones. Right.

In contrast to the Alexandrian period, where women had equal rights, burning witches of course became a trendy thing to do every weekend, even if it meant burning your sweet niece or next door neighbours’ wife. This however was probably a result of the sexual repressions enforced by Christianity, which smothered the sexual liberations of Alexandrian Greco-Egypt. In the good old Alexandrian times orgies were religiously undertaken (can you blame me for being honest?) It probably meant a few people were unsure who their father really was, but at least people could think clearly after having a-good-old shag. No wonder Christians were so sexually wound up and did all those nasty things. ‘I’ll stab her with my pitchfork at least!’ said the horny little fellow with a good Christian name, as he announced yet another girl in his neighbourhood was a witch. Oh and at the time a good way to test a woman for being a witch, was to tie her to a big rock and throw her into water. If she didn’t float back up to the top, then at least they knew she was innocent. Smart thinking guys.

Left; image depicting the Dark Ages. Right; a man stokes the fire with his penis extension, burning three women he probably just wanted to shag in the first place.

That is about the extent of my knowledge on the Dark Ages. For the Alexandrian admirer and Mystical aspirant like me it meant the world had experienced an eclipse of consciousness, descending humanity into philosophical gloom. The Solar Light of the philosophers, that the great Greek sages had obtained in Egypt, had been replaced by the overshadowing Christian, Muslim and Jewish barbarians, who took up the hobby of defacing temples and burning things; people, objects, books. You name it, Christians, Jews and Muslims did it. They could well be certifiable pyromaniacs. But this social/philosophical descent into darkness only lasted until along came Plato to the rescue.

Key point: Dark Age

Stream: Dogmatic Schools

Symbols used: Dying God, Cross

Secret: They were Fire Bugs